Forum planned on proposed corridor linking I-10 and I-65 with south Baldwin County

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. -- Now that a proposed hurricane evacuation highway linking interstates 10 and 65 seems likely to follow the route preferred by Baldwin County officials, a group of county business leaders wants to know why the route is favored.

Leadership Baldwin County, a program that unites people from throughout the county and encourages civic involvement, will hold a forum about the highway at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Robertsdale City Hall.

"Businesses and individuals will be affected by the placement of this road," said Scott Shamburger, a Baldwin County builder who serves on the infrastructure group of Leadership Baldwin County's class of 2010.

The state planned a different route for the corridor that would lie close to the Florida line, but transportation officials said last week they would hold off on that proposal while the county researches its preferred path for the highway.

"We believe it is important to provide factual information about both proposed routes and provide an appropriate forum for questions," he said.

Among the forum's expected speakers are Robertsdale Mayor Charles Murphy and County Commission Chairman Charles "Skip" Gruber, he said.

"The leadership group wants to know why we chose the route we did and why we think it's the best route," Gruber said. "I look forward to that discussion."

Alabama Department of Transportation officials last week said that, in light of the county's pursuit of its own route, they had halted work on plans for their version of the $150 million, four-lane corridor that would follow a route close to the Florida line.

Late last year, environmental groups as well as county and municipal leaders expressed bewilderment over the state's plans to build a road over the wetlands of the Perdido River basin rather than constructing it on the high ground in the county's middle.

County officials back a route that would roughly parallel Ala. 59. The route would link to the existing Beach Express toll bridge that runs to Orange Beach, making it another highway for tourist traffic, economic development and hurricane evacuation.

County officials have requested $150 million from Congress to fund the project.

Other expected speakers at Tuesday's forum include Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency Director Leigh Anne Ryals, Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance President Robert Ingram and GUMBO political action committee President Anthony Kaiser.

Representatives from the state transportation department and the Baldwin County engineer's office are also expected to attend, organizers said.

County officials voted at a recent meeting to enter the next phase of a traffic study on their route to see if a toll road would be feasible.

"We're working on an environmental study and we've applied for a wetlands permit," said Cal Markert, Baldwin County engineer. "We're doing preliminary work and gathering facts."

Markert said that, even though the county's route would fill 104.9 acres of wetlands, it seems to be far more environmentally friendly than the state's route.

The state route would start at Baldwin County 87 and I-10, then cross 28 creeks along the headwaters of the Perdido River and a new Perdido Wildlife Management Area. The county route would cross just 10 creeks.

The county route would also connect to the industrial mega-site where Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corp. plans to locate, should the company raise its needed $1.5 billion in startup money, Markert said.